Throttle valve



United States Patent 3 Claims. (a. 251-307 The present invention relates to throttle valves which are closable in a fluidtight manner and are of the type previously designed by the applicant, in which the throttle plate is pivotally mounted in the valve body by an articulation device which does not interfere with the peripheral face of the throttle plate, so that this face is strictly continuous, the valve body comprising around the throttle plate an elastically yieldable metal sleeve which a radially inward pressure exerted from the exterior on the whole of its circumference clamps against said continuous face of the throttle plate when the latter is in its closing position, thereby providing a metal-to-metal fluidtight seal which a mere precise machining would not provide.

In the known valves of this type the throttle plate is constituted by a die cast member. This member is relatively thick so that it is possible to form therein, outside its cylindrical continuous peripheral face, cavities and bores for receiving the journals permitting the throttle plate to pivot about a fixed diametral pivot spindle and the pivot pins of the control device.

Such a throttle plate is relatively complicated in shape and results in appreciable machining costs. Moreover, and above all, owing to its thickness due to the presence of the diametral spindle, it creates in its open position a pressure drop in the passage of the fluid which is far from being negligible.

The object of the present invention is to provide a throttle valve of the aforementioned type which is so improved as to overcome these drawbacks. In this valve, the throttle plate is constituted by a thin sheet metal disc of constant thickness mounted on two balls whose centres define the pivot axis of the throttle plate, each of these balls being held between two socket members secured to the disc and located on both sides of the latter in an aperture receiving the ball.

According to another feature, the links or other disccontrolling elements are each pivoted to an element secured in another aperture in the disc. Preferably the disc, which must have sufiicient thickness so as not to vibrate, is chamfered on both its peripheral edges thereby reducing the surface of contact with said sleeve.

Owing to the aforementioned features the disc is held in place perfectly well and yet in the open position results in practically no lamination of the fluid controlled by the disc, since its axial peripheral Width of the disc is very small. Pressure drops across the valve are therefore practically avoided.

Further, the disc is most simple to construct from a circular blank by chamfering the outer edges and providing apertures for receiving the sockets for the balls of the pivotal joints and the pivotal elements of the control means.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description, with reference to the accompanying drawings to which the invention is in no way limited.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal diametral sectional view of a valve improved in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a half-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1, and

3,245,654 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 ice FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view with parts cut away.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings the valve comprises a valve body A having an inner cylindrical face 1 and end flanges 2 for its attachment between pipe elements. Disposed against the inner face of this valve body is an elastically yieldable sleeve B of steel or like material which is maintained in position in the longitudinal direction for example by welding one of its end edges to the inner face of the body A.

This sleeve B is adapted to elastically grip or tighten round under the action of an exterior elastic tightening device C, against the continuous outer cylindrical face 4 of the circular obturating member or throttle plate D.

The tightening device C can advantageously comprise at least one coil which extends round the circumference of the sleeve and is composed of an elastically bendable metal binding means 5. One end 6 of the latter is fixed by screws 7 or otherwise to the valve body A whereas the other end 8 (see FIGURE 2) is connected to the control device E which permits exerting a traction on this binding means. The latter is preferably provided with rolling elements 9 adapted to come in contact with the outer face of the sleeve.

In accordance with the present invention the throttle plate D is constituted by a circular disc blanked from normal sheet metal, for example sheet steel. It is therefore completely flat but its two peripheral edges are chamfered at 10 to reduce the axial width 1 (FIGURE 3) of its cylindrical peripheral face 4 which is adapted to cooperate with the sleeve B.

This disc is pivotable about a diametral axis XX which intersects the centres O of two fixed balls 11 provided at the ends of two arms 12 secured in two fixed positions in bosses 13 which form an integral part of the body A and are disposed inside the latter.

Each ball 11 is held between two socket members 14 and 15 which are fixed on both sides of the disc D and extend, through the medium of two projections in facing relation, into an aperture 16 provided in the disc, this aperture having such diameter as to receive not only the corresponding ball 11 but the edges of said projections in which are formed the socket.

It will be observed that in order to permit the free pivotal movement of the throttle plate D from the position shown in FIGURE 1, corresponding to the complete closure of the piping, to a perpendicular position corresponding to the fully open position, the socket member 15 located adjacent the arms 12 comprises a notch 17 allowing the free movement of this arm.

The disc D is pivoted by means of a control device which comprises, in the known manner, a spindle 18 which is journalled in a fluidtight manner in bearings 19 carried by the body A, there being keyed on this spindle in a position inside the body a yoke 20 which is connected by two links 21 to the throttle plate D. Each of these links is pivoted at one end at 22 to the yoke 20 and at its other end at 23 to a member 24 secured by screws 25 in an aperture 26 formed in the disc D.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described, many modifications and changes may be made therein, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A throttle valve comprising a valve body, a throttle plate composed of a thin metal sheet of constant thickness, ball-and-socket means mounting the throttle plate on the valve body, said means comprising two balls carried by the valve body in a fixed position, two throughway apertures formed in the throttle plate for respectively receiving the balls, each ball having two socket members which are engaged partially around the ball on opposite sides of the ball and are secured to the throttle plate on opposite sides of the throttle plate, whereby the socket members and throttle plate are pivoted on the balls about a fixed pivot axis intersecting the centres of the balls.

2. A throttle valve as claimed in claim 1, comprising control means for controlling thevangular position of the throttle plate on the balls, and a pivotal mounting be tween the control means and the throttle plate, said pivotal mounting including a further throughway aperture formed in the throttle plate, an element secured in said further aperture, the control means being connected to the element for pivotal movement about an axis contained in the plane of the throttle plate.

3. A throttle valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the throttle plate has two circumferentially extending peripheral chamfers defining a peripheral edge which is thinner than the thickness of the throttle plate, whereby the area of contact between the throttle plate and the valve body in valve operation is reduced.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 563,727 1/1958 Belgium.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A THROTTLE VALVE COMPRISING A VALVE BODY, A THROTTLE PLATE COMPOSED OF A THIN METAL SHEET OF CONSTANT THICKNESS, BALL-AND-SOCKET MEANS MOUNTING THE THROTTLE PLATE ON THE VALVE BODY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING TWO BALLS CARRIED BY THE VALVE BODY IN A FIXED POSITION, TWO THROUGHWAY APERTURES FORMED IN THE THROTTE PLATE FOR RESPECTIVELY RECEIVING THE BALLS, EACH BALL HAVING TWO SOCKET MEMBERS WHICH ARE ENGAGED PARTIALLY AROUND THE BALL ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BALL AND ARE SECURED TO THE THROTTLE PLATE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE THROTTLE PLATE, WHEREBY THE SOCKET MEMBERS AND THROTTLE PLATE ARE PIVOTED ON THE BALLS ABOUT A FIXED PIVOT AXIS INTERSECTING THE CENTRES OFL THE BALLS. 